Vestil HPC Series, Use And Maintenance Manual

Page: 5 / 9

Table of Contents Rev. 3/19/2021 HPC MANUAL
Table of Contents Copyright 2021 Vestil Manufacturing Page 5 of 9
OPERATION PARAMETERS
HPC series plate clamps must only be used to lift materials in sheet form. Material thickness must fall within
the range indicated in. Clamps are not designed for use with stainless steel or aluminum sheets. Materials must
have surface hardness up to 30 RC (300 HB). Ambient and material temperatures must also fall within the range
indicated.
USING THE PLATE CLAMP
NOTE: HPC-series clamps are BTH design category B
(used for loads and variations which are severe and
not accurately defined)
, service class 1
(20,001 to 100,000 load cycles)
. DO NOT use them to lift sheets of
stainless steel or aluminum. Sheet material surface hardness must be 30 RC (300 HB) or less. Sheet material
must weigh AT LEAST as much as the MINIMUM UNIFORM SHEET WEIGHT (MUSW) of your clamp. MUSW
figures for all models are provided on p. 4. The plate thickness must be at least 25% of the maximum jaw
opening. Using the clamp to only lift sheets of the same thickness causes wear in a specific region of the gripper.
The gripper must be replaced sooner and more frequently as a result.
The following use Instructions are meant to supplement applicable instructions of ASME B30.20. C
lamps
should only be used by trained, qualified personnel. ASME B30.20 defines qualified person as “a person
who, by the possession of a recognized degree in an applicable field or certificate of professional standing,
or who, by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve
or resolve problems relating to the subject matter at hand.” Qualified persons include designated persons,
trainees under the direct supervision of a designated person, maintenance personnel, test personnel, and
inspectors.
STEP 1: Perform an EVERY LIFT INSPECTION described in the INSPECTIONS & MAINTENANCE section on p.
9 of this manual. Inspect each clamp that is used for each lift. The clamps must be in SATISFACTORY
CONDITION
. Center the hoist above the sheet of material. Attach rigging (sling and/or spreader bar + slings).
STEP 2: Attach clamps. At least 1 pair of clamps is necessary to lift a sheet of material. Use as many pairs of
clamps as necessary to balance the sheet when it is suspended. Connect pairs of clamps to the sling(s). Safety
hooks at all attachment points are recommended, i.e. the sling hooks, spreader bar hooks, and hoist hook should
include automatically closing latches. When only 1 pair of clamps is used, the sheet tends to rotate about a
line/axis between the clamps. Only lift narrow (not very wide) sheets with 1 pair of clamps. Attach the clamps to
the short sides of the sheet (width (W) sides). The sheet must not rotate and must remain level when suspended,
i.e. the plane of the sheet must be horizontal. If that cannot be accomplished with only 1 pair of clamps, use
additional pairs of clamps. When 2 or more pairs of clamps are used, attach clamps to the long sides of the sheet
(length (L) sides). Clamps on the same side of the sheet must be spaced equally on either side of the short axis.
MODEL
Material Thickness
(Ambient and Material)
Temperature Range
Bale
Opening
Minimum (25% of
max. jaw opening)
Maximum Minimum Maximum
HPC-20
13
/
64
” (0.6cm)
13
/
16
” (0.47 cm) 0°F (-17.8°C) 225°F (107.2°C) 1
3
/
16
” (3cm)
HPC-40
5
/
16
” (0.8 cm) 1
1
/
4
” (3.1 cm) 0°F (-17.8°C) 225°F (107.2°C) 1.2” (3cm)
HPC-80
11
/
32
” (0.4 cm) 1
3
/
8
” (3.4 cm) 0°F (-17.8°C) 225°F (107.2°C) 1.2” (3cm)
HPC-100
23
/
64
” (1 cm) 1
7
/
16
” (3.6 cm) 0°F (-17.8°C) 225°F (107.2°C) 1.2” (3cm)
Spreader bar;
2 slings;
2 pairs of
clamps
1 Pair of Clamps;
1 Sling
Short axis of
sheet material
Long axis
of sheet
material
Table 3